Headstrong
by Wishing-for-a-Zoro-plushie
Summary: AU COMPLETE ZoLuZo two chapter one shot Luffy had to get backstage. He just had to! After buying these tickets with the last of his pay, Luffy wasn't going to be denied the chance to see the one person he had come to this place for. Roronoa Zoro. T rating
1. Times Past and Present

_A/N:_ _This is a two-shot. Hasn't been beta'd so excuse mistakes and all. Got the idea when at work and listening to the radio. Avril Lavigne's 'Sk8ta boi' or however it's spelled, came on. I don't mind the song, but I rather don't like it either, so it's a little meh. I like how this fic turned out in the end. _

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own One Piece or any of it's characters, I do not own the lyrics to Trapt's 'Headstrong' or Linkin Park's 'Burning in the Skies' and nor do I own Disturbed's 'Stricken'. _

_**Pairing: **__LuZoLu_

_**Warning/s:**__ Swearing, rated T for it and yeah.  
__**Universe: **__AU_

_**Headstrong**_

**Chapter 1: Times Past And Present**

Luffy had to get backstage. He just had to! After buying these tickets with the last of his pay, Luffy wasn't going to be denied the chance to see the one person he had come to this place for. Roronoa Zoro. The band he had become a part of, was now world famous and he was the leading guitarist. No singing from that man, though he did love to shout out random crap about the lead singer, Ao Sanji, quite a bit.

They had a fantastic drummer, Cutty 'Franky' Flam and a beautiful back up singer, Nico Robin. The group shot to fame in no time once they had been discovered. Sanji's melodious voice, Zoro's excellent guitar playing, Franky's amazing drummer skills and Robin's dark, mysterious beauty had been an instant hit. _East Blue_ was their name, and it had become an almost household name to any teenager around these days. Sanji's voice was ringing out across the packed stadium, the band's gig having been going for the past hour and still had another hour yet to go.

"I'm swimming in the smoke... of bridges I have burned... so don't apologise, I'm losing what I don't deserve!" the blonde man sang, making the dark haired man's heart beat slightly. Luffy had to see Zoro, though. He didn't care about the others, he wanted to see _Zoro_. How long had it been? They'd only been young teens when they'd first met.

Flashback

"_Where am I?" Luffy muttered, looking at the map in his hands and then around the small town he was wandering around in, "This doesn't look like that..." Huffing and pouting a little, the 16 year old brat trotted off down an alley and stopped when he came across a pair of narrowed, almost evil eyes glaring at him from the shadows directly where he was heading. _

"_Are? Who're you?" _

"_It's not polite to ask someone else's name before introducing yourself first," the voice was slightly squeaky, but deep all the same, indicating it was a teen not that much older than he was. Luffy tilted his head a little before rubbing at the back of his neck. _

"_Wari wari, I'm Monkey D Luffy! I was just heading through to try and get to the store. My brother and I just moved here, so I don't know where to go..." He looked quite distraught about this fact and the man in the shadows slunk forward and revealed himself, a small, cheeky smirk on his face. _

"_Roronoa Zoro. I'm just creeping you out is all, don't worry, you can go through here," the teen shrugged. Luffy was indeed correct, this man was maybe a year or two older than he was. He was quite... lanky, really. Luffy was of course no better, but the guy in front of him looked as though he would fill out a bit more in a couple of years judging by the width of his shoulders. Zoro turned to walk away but Luffy flailed a little before grabbing the back of his shirt and stopping him. _

"_Na, don't go! Can you show me the way? I was supposed to be home an hour or so ago," Luffy whined, looking up at the taller teen with _big_ eyes and hoping that his puppy dog charm would work. Amazingly, it worked very, very well. _

"_... Fine. I can't guarantee anything but I can try and get you there quickly." _

"_Thank you so much!" The younger teen cheered a bit before noticing that the taller had light green hair that looked soft and quite fluffy, really. He was almost tempted to pet it but stopped himself. After all, he'd only just met this guy a moment ago. _

"_How old are you?" Zoro glanced back at Luffy, raising a slight eyebrow as he asked his question. As they stepped into better light, Luffy also noticed then that the older teen had deep, almost marbled green eyes. _

"_Fifteen! But I'll be turning sixteen in May. What about you?" _

"_Seventeen, but I turn eighteen in November." _

"_So cool!" _

End Flashback

They had gotten completely and utterly lost that day, and Luffy had only managed to get home sometime early in the morning. Zoro had stayed with him the whole time, apologising for getting them lost and then attempting to help the dark haired teen find his way home. When that didn't pan out, he'd just simply stayed and talked with the kid as they had walked. Zoro had no family to go home to, he lived on his own. Sanji's next song was starting up now and Luffy fidgeted a little.

He could see Zoro there, right there, and he would want to reach out and touch the guy. Make sure it really was him. It _had _to be. That green hair and voice was simply unmistakable. The crowd nodded along to the beat of the music, some even starting to bounce as the base kicked in and made Luffy's ribs thump and the ground beneath his feet seem to shudder.

"Back off, I'll take you on... Headstrong to take on anyone... I know that you are wrong... Headstrong! We're headstrong!" Luffy watched with wide eyes as Zoro played his guitar, smirking down at it with so much passion in his expression that the dark haired man was almost mesmerized.

"I... can't... give everything away...! I... won't... give everything away...!" Luffy edged his way through the crowd, trying to get closer to the stage but it was a hard task, that he really had to admit. He still loved him... he needed to see him and talk to him again.

Flashback

_Tomorrow was Luffy's birthday and he was quite excited to be honest. He had something very important to tell Zoro when he came for the party and he just couldn't wait. It would be the highlight of his day, but he was also extremely nervous. Ace had braced him, said everything would be fine either way. Luffy believed him quite thoroughly. So, his head had been laid on the pillow and within moments, he had forced himself to sleep, ready for what his birthday would bring. _

_The party wasn't much seeing as Luffy and Ace had only been in the town for about three months, it wasn't like they had made many friends. Zoro was there along with Vivi, one of Ace's new co-workers. Vivi was very nice, Luffy liked her a lot even though she was kind of clumsy and a bit nervous. Zoro was first there whilst Ace was out picking up Vivi for the party and Luffy grinned at the taller man and fussed around him, making sure he was comfortable and everything. _

"_Oi oi, enough already eh?" Zoro chuckled a little, shoving Luffy to sit on the couch and wandering past to sit on the floor against the wall and cross his arms behind his head. That was his favourite spot, it was kept clear especially for the green haired man to sit there these days. Luffy peered at him with a smile before jumping up and moving to sit on the floor beside the older man. _

"_Ne... Zoro, can I ask... you something important?" Luffy's voice was suddenly a lot less boisterous and a lot more timid and shy. _

"_Mm? Go ahead, I guess," Zoro shrugged, eyes opened just enough that he could see Luffy from the corners of them. It really must have been something important for the kid to fidget and carry on like he was doing. _

"_Um... I... I wanted to ask..." Luffy's cheeks were going slightly pink before he huffed softly and looked up and directly at the older teen, "... if... you would go out with me?" Of all the things for Luffy to ask, Zoro had _not_ expected __**that**_. _What an unpredictable kid this guy was. Mind you, the colour that flooded the older man's cheeks was equally unpredictable. He cleared his throat a little before looking to the kid to see if he'd gotten the question right. When Luffy just continued staring at him, the boy's face bright red and his eyes filled with a determination Zoro hadn't seen yet, he knew it had to be real._

"_Uh..." That was the most intelligent response he could get out? Way to go there, Zoro. Tch. Scratching at his hair a little, he then let his arms fall to his lap and looked at his fingers for a few minutes before swallowing a little. He really wasn't sure what to make of this. He was pretty close to Luffy, the two were damn near inseparable these days. Dating? He wasn't sure if that was a step he wanted to take or not. It... didn't sound so bad he guessed and it wasn't like he wasn't interested in Luffy or anything, he just... well... what could it hurt to go out with the kid? What harm would come from it? _

"_I..." Zoro managed and then cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck, "I... guess... we could go out, ne..." The pure and utter, unadulterated joy that passed across Luffy's face made the older teen feel good that his answer had made the other this happy. He always tried his best to keep the guy as happy as he could and this was another of those times, it seemed. _

"_Really? A-awesome!" Luffy's grin was so wide it was a wonder his face hadn't split in half yet and in a swift movement he hugged the older teen and then jumped to his feet to run and get the door as he heard Ace's car pull up outside. Zoro rubbed at the back of his head, his cheeks still bright red. _

"_ACE!" Luffy's voice was echoing outside the house and into it as well, "He said yes!" Zoro couldn't stop himself from driving his palm into his now vibrantly glowing face._

End Flashback

"Alright everyone, settle down now!" Sanji was yelling, his chest heaving at his exertion but he was far from worn out. Zoro was breathing just as heavily, strumming a random few notes in the background as the blonde was speaking.

"We love you, Sanji-kun!" Female voices shouted in the distance which made the blonde instantly twirl on the spot.

"THANK YOU, CUTIE-CHWANS!" He bellowed back, waving happily to them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please don't be alarmed by this moronic display. At least you all don't have to _work_ with him," Zoro spoke, twitching mildly at the display the blonde man was putting on.

"Shut ya face, Marimo!" Sanji snarled back, glaring at the green haired man violently and Zoro played an 'Uh-oh' sounding few notes on his guitar which made quite a few people in the audience chuckle in amusement. These two's antics were quite the cover for the band and it was no act either. They were completely natural when insulting each other horribly like they did. Luffy watched them intensely, eyes focused on Zoro almost the whole time and occasionally shifting to Robin or Franky in the background.

"We're gonna go for a quick costume change but whilst we do, I'll leave the muscle headed marimo idiot here, to entertain you with a guitar solo," Sanji said, raising a hand and gesturing towards Zoro before the lights shut down and the three other members of the band disappeared into the background.

Zoro snorted softly before raising his guitar and setting his fingers on the strings, eyes focused and lips set in a small frown before he began to play. The notes at first weren't anything special, nowhere near fast and seemed to follow a slow, melodic tune that Luffy was _sure _he'd heard somewhere before.

Flashback

_It was just after a year now that Zoro and Luffy had been going out, and today was the first day in a week that the dark haired man had found enough time to go and see his boyfriend. Zoro lived almost at the other side of the city to him and that made it also a little harder for them to get to see each other considering the bus system was pretty crappy. There was no line that went even near to Zoro's place, always away. So it was a taxi, a car, or walking. Usually, walking was the only option. _

_Zoro had no money for a car, Luffy was under age and Ace was often out on work trips and Taxis were often _way_ too expensive for either of them to even consider. Finally, Zoro's apartment block came into view and Luffy grinned widely, looking up at it and scratched at his dark hair. He was seventeen now and Zoro was eighteen, about to turn nineteen. Wow. Time sure flew quickly. Heading into the place, Luffy tugged his key to Zoro's door from his pocket and hopped into the elevator. He smiled at some lady with her dog and then got out when the bright number 5 popped up and the doors dinged open. The lady remained in the elevator and the dog gave a bark before the doors closed again. _

_As Luffy marched his way down the hall to Zoro's door and was about to open it, he paused and leaned closer to the wood to listen. Faintly, he could hear the older man strumming on his guitar and Luffy grinned. He loved to hear Zoro practise. One day, Zoro wanted to be a guitarist. A famous one, one of the best if _not_ the best in the whole world. Opening the door as silently as he could, Luffy snuck in and then poked his head around the hallway corner to see the older man sitting in the middle of his lounge room floor, bits of paper ripped, crumpled or just normally flat lay scattered around him everywhere and his guitar was seated across his lap. _

"_Damn it..." Zoro muttered and leaned forward to mark something on a sheet, "Goes... there. Ne." His hands danced over the strings again, playing a tune that Luffy closed his eyes and listened to thoroughly. It was a nice tune, very soft and melodic and made him want to just curl up and listen and be content. A string snapped in the middle though and Zoro grunted sharply, the tune cutting short as the older teen sucked on his finger where it had been cut as the wire had gone crazy. _

"_Lousy... too strong, Zoro. Too strong," he said to himself as he got up. Turning, he spotted Luffy and blinked for a second before scowling, his finger still in his mouth. _

"_Oi oi, you know I hate it when you do that, asshole."  
_

"_Wari wari, it's just nice to listen to you when you think nobody's looking," Luffy chuckled merrily as he said this, wandering into the apartment after he had tugged his shoes and jacket off. That tune was still playing in his ears and he had to wonder if it would be one that would become recognised around the world. Zoro grunted, not in the mood to respond with anything more than that. He felt the other's arms wind around his waist and leaned back into the embrace slightly. _

_The older teen had filled out quite a lot in the past year, his body size and shape becoming much more pronounced whilst his voice had finally dropped and hit it's proper pitch. A very low, smoky, almost dangerous sounding voice that Luffy definitely loved to hear. It was a great voice in his opinion. Actually, very little about this man seemed to be bad to Luffy. Maybe his habit to get into fights that he ended up getting fairly badly hurt in or his strange occupation with sharp, shiny things. _

_Those were about the only things about his marimo he couldn't stand. His friends that he had made during the year, weren't big fans of Zoro but they said very little about the matter. Luffy loved Zoro and that was that. _

"_Ne, Zoro?" Luffy asked, smirking a little into the other's back and hugging him a bit closer, "You looked really cute with your finger in your mouth like that..." The growl in Luffy's voice was hard to miss and Zoro rolled his eyes slightly, holding his finger under the cold water until the blood stopped running and congealed. _

"_Oh did I now? Huh. Funny that," he said. Luffy grinned and chuckled through his teeth. He wasn't half bad himself, body wise. Still lanky but possessing a definite muscle structure and some serious strength that rivalled Zoro's almost easily, and the older man practised his three blade art, Santoryuu and lifted _heavy_ weights on a daily basis. So that said something about Luffy's strength right there. Skinny fingers traced over Zoro's stomach and up to his chest, pressing there and then suddenly Luffy had dipped the green haired teen and was holding him easily at a 45 degree angle to the floor. _

"_Funny, ne?"  
_

"_Oi oi, don't do that kind of crap all of a sudden like that!" Zoro yelped, grabbing onto Luffy's neck as the kid dipped him. Grinning widely, the younger man just laughed at his boyfriend's reaction before kissing him on the forehead and then standing him upright again. _

"_Seems I'm doing a lot of unexpected things today, eh?" The purr in Luffy's voice was just as unmistakable as the growl from earlier._

"_Seems so," Zoro said, leaning a hand on his kitchen counter and propping his fist on his hip, crossing his legs and shrugging at the younger man. _

"_Maybe I can do some more unexpected things?"  
_

"_I think those have been very much expected for a while now, kiddo," Zoro smirked, enjoying teasing the other and playing this game. _

"_Oh? Then you should be well prepared by now then, huh?" Luffy grinned widely, enjoying the game just as much as his partner was. _

"_I... wouldn't go that far." _

"_Can I help in any way?"  
_

"_I very much doubt it, you have a habit of fucking things up."  
_

"_And down," Luffy said, raising an eyebrow in a suggestive manner. Zoro shrugged one shoulder, offering lazy, bedroom eyes at his boyfriend.  
_

"_If you say so."  
_

"_Zoro?"  
_

"_Mm?"  
_

"_... Your finger's bleeding again."  
_

"_Ah? Oh crap..." Zoro grunted, staring at the blood coming from the cut on his finger and shoving that digit into his mouth again. That was it for Luffy. He dived the older man and fairly dragged him into the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind them. _

End Flashback

Zoro's guitar solo was reaching it's peak, the man's green hair dripping with sweat as what had started out as a slow and melodic tune, had turned into a fast paced, rocking beat that had everyone cheering the guitarist's name. Luffy felt his heart thumping in his chest as Zoro's hands and fingers twitched at an insane pace, the muscles on his arms bulging from the exertion and his feet twisting every now and again as he jerked his whole body to produce the perfect note.

Zoro really had become amazing... and Luffy regretted what he had done. He really needed to see the man. Apologise. Set things right between them, if Zoro ever wanted to see him again. He wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. What a fool, Luffy had been. The guitar solo ended, hitting it's high note and then with four other well placed, awesome sounding notes, it was over. Panting, Zoro smirked and then looked up as Sanji walked back out onto the stage again.

"Ahhhh, come on, Marimo. I could do better," the blonde grinned, hands in his pockets. Zoro tugged the guitar off and handed it to Sanji who gladly took it.

"This oughta be good," the green haired man said into his mic, still panting heavily after everything. Sanji held the guitar a bit awkwardly for a moment before setting it right and then starting to strum at the strings in a horrible, ear breaking manner.

"Oh man! That's horrible, bro!" Franky shouted from the back. The crowd laughed heartily at this.

"URESAI!" The blonde man snarled back at his blue haired compatriot before sticking his tongue between his teeth... and was suddenly playing like a pure and utter professional.

"Ooo hoo, someone's been practising," Zoro chuckled into the mic, watching as Sanji played the guitar for all it was worth. He wasn't anywhere near as good as Zoro had been and he only played for a quarter of the length the green haired man had but he had still proved himself as an good guitar player and upon finishing his little ditty, took a grand bow.

"... Who was better, ladies and gentlemen?" The guitarist called, tugging his guitar back on again, "Me or eyebrows?" The crowd looked at each other and some, not many, yelled a distant 'Sanji!' but the rest of the crowd shoved their fists in the air and screamed a chorus of 'Zoro!'.

"Aw man," Sanji pouted, slumping and taking the mic from it's stand, "That's not cool."

"Sounds about right from my angle," Zoro grinned wickedly and received a pretty middle finger as a return.

"Alright enough kidding around, ne?"

"You started it," Zoro muttered, making Sanji shoot a quick glare at him before the two settled. The crowd chuckled appreciatively of the performance, clapping a beat to try and get the band back into action again. Some people yelled out Sanji's name, some yelled out Zoro's and then alternated to Robin and Franky's.

The new song started up and Luffy spotted a break in the security line. After this song, he would run for there and get up on stage, and he would make Zoro listen. If not to everything Luffy had to say, then at least to his apology. The crowd was singing along, bouncing to the music and enjoying the gig very much, showing their appreciation with cheers and whistles.

"... That I am stricken and can't let you go...! When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know..! That I am crippled by all that you've... done...! Into the abyss will I run...!" Sanji and Zoro had shifted so they were now back to back, the blonde man suddenly having a guitar in his hands as well and the two _played_. A combination that lasted a fair while as they played, striking the notes perfectly and making the crowd scream their approval as Zoro and Sanji finished the solo and the blonde returned to singing again.

The song ended and while the crowd was screaming and cheering and the band was bowing and smirking at their own awesome performance, Luffy took his chance. In a swift movement, he had dodged into the break he had spotted in the security and had clambered up onto the stage. The guards didn't even realise he was up there, but Luffy could see Robin's eyes turn to him in confusion. Soon, Franky's followed and Luffy gathered his breath before yelling for the person he wanted to speak to.

"ZORO!" The guitarist jerked slightly and turned to stare at the man who had yelled his name. His usually slanted, sleepy eyes, widened with realisation as he recognised the figure. Zoro's teeth clenched and he held his guitar just a little tighter and watched as security guards ran for the kid to get him down from the stage.

"ZORO! ... You have to listen to me! I have something important to tell you, so you have to listen, okay!" Luffy was yelling as he fought off the guards, trying to get a response from the older man so he _knew_ Zoro was listening and this wouldn't all be wasted. Sanji blinked, still holding his mic before he slowly turned to face the green haired man. 

"... Zoro? You know this guy?" His expression and the tone in his voice was quite obviously confused as he waited for an answer from his friend. Zoro swallowed a little, not really paying attention to Sanji before he finally, slowly shook his head.

"No... I've never seen him before in my life," he said, frowning and watching as the guards began dragging Luffy down and towards the stairs. Sanji frowned a little at that response before turning to watch as the guards took the guy away. Luffy fought tooth and nail at that point, taking a few of the guards out but each time, they grabbed him around the face to keep him quiet, and then around the waist to throw him back down the stairs of the stage again. Finally, he managed to get his mouth free and he drew in another breath.

"I'M SORRY! ZOROOOO! I'M! **SO!** SORRY!" After that, the guards got a good hold on him and carried him away, tossing him out of the place and slamming the door in his face. The last thing he had seen before they'd managed to pull him away, after he'd screamed his apology, was Zoro's almost sad expression and the grim set of his mouth. He'd heard him, then. Good. Luffy would still want to see him one last time, apologise to him better than he just had then, but if that didn't happen... at least he had had this chance. That was the positive way to think about it. Sighing, Luffy pushed his hands into his jeans pockets and began the walk to home again.

_... You have no idea how sorry I am, Zoro... _

0o0o0o0o0o0o

_A/N:__ I hope everyone enjoyed :) _


	2. Times Present and Future

_A/N:__ La dee freakin' da! Enjoy! _

_**Headstrong**_

**Chapter 2: Times Present and Future**

The gig had ended and Zoro was nothing short of fuming as he stomped backstage and put his guitar away. He was calm, his expression almost neutral but Sanji could tell that the guy was just about ready to blow a fuse. All of the band had a different room for themselves but the blonde had opted to follow Zoro into his this time, wondering just what the hell that had all been about.

He'd known the guy for a good four years now and though he and Zoro fought all the time, Sanji had never seen him quite as ruffled as he was now. About to blow a fuse was right as well, as suddenly that fuse overloaded and Zoro twisted to slam his fist into the wall, glaring nastily at it and the hole he had just made. Sanji's eyes widened slightly before he raised his hands a little.

"Oi oi, come on, Zoro. Just calm the fuck down," he said, watching the green haired man a little nervously. Zoro's green eyes snapped to him and he yanked his fist from the wall and shook the plaster from his hand.

"Little son of a _bitch_," he snarled, dropping into the couch and tapping his fingers violently on the armrest.

"Who? The kid? You said you'd never seen him before," Sanji shrugged, moving to sit on the armrest of another couch near to the one Zoro was currently occupying. The guy's face looked like a mix of feral cat and demon. It was mildly freaky to be completely honest.

"Heh. I wish that were the case. I said that just so the guards would take him the fuck away," Zoro replied, his fingers still tapping that annoyed pattern and his foot tapping almost impatiently. He really was fired up.

"Okay. So. Who the hell was he, then?" Sanji asked, tugging off his vest that he had been wearing for the performance and laying it to the side as he rolled up his sleeves and loosened his tie a bit.

"Just... someone I knew. Five or so years ago. He was a good guy... for a while, anyway," Zoro began to explain before he snorted and his face twitched violently again. "He comes back after _five_ years to apologise? It took him _that_ long? Jesus! Would've been nice if he could've fucking apologised a bit sooner, or at the very least spoken to me!" Sanji was completely lost and he raised his swirly eyebrow to show his confusion. Zoro glanced at him before raising a hand to rub at his forehead.

Now this was gonna be interesting to explain, he had to admit. Letting out a long breath, the guitarist watched Sanji from between his fingers, his eyes narrowed a little before he began to explain. He told how Luffy and he had met, what had happened between them and what they used to be like together. Told about everything, aside from what had pissed him off so much. Sanji frowned at the end of the story, figuring that Zoro really hadn't told him everything. So, he decided to ask.

"... If you and he were so happy together, then why did you guys break up? And why are you so pissed at him?" Zoro's face hardened, his lips forming a thin line.

"... He was an asshole."

Flashback

_Zoro had turned nineteen two or three months ago, and Luffy was soon due to turn eighteen. Their relationship was quite strong and by now, Luffy spent more of his time at Zoro's house than anywhere else. Or... he had been like that for a while, but the past month, the green haired teen had noticed his boyfriend was a lot more preoccupied with going out. Partying. Having fun and the like. Zoro had nothing against that at all, he didn't care, as long as Luffy stayed in one piece but he was never invited. What did it matter to him? He wasn't the social type anyway. _

_More and more, Luffy had been seeing Zoro less and had been off with one of his other friends. It was obvious that at school, he had become quite popular and was loving the life he had even though he hardly hung out with even Nami and Usopp any more. He was tough, and quite cute and handsome these days. Zoro wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation, but he took it as it came. When Luffy came to visit him, he was happy, and that was all that mattered really. _

_One day though, the sky had clouded over and thunder was rumbling around outside. Rain was lashing against his window and there just seemed to be something off about the atmosphere. Zoro was reading a book by the window, turning the pages idly every now and again. He wasn't so much into this reading business but it was something to do while he waited for the storm to pass so he could turn the television back on again. The door rattled and Luffy stepped in, his eyes slightly shadowed and his clothes and hair dry. How? Zoro had no idea. He supposed the kid had gotten a lift from someone. _

"_Oi," Zoro greeted, turning another page before closing the book and looking up at the dark haired teen with a small smile. Luffy didn't smile back and the older man sensed something was wrong here. _

"_Zoro... we need to talk," Luffy said, raising his head with an expression that was unlike any Zoro had seen. It was cold, and distant as well. _

"_Um... okay..." _

"_... I think... we should break up," the dark haired teen said, crossing his arms and regarding Zoro still with that cold, masked expression. The words rattled around in Zoro's brain for a moment and he blinked slowly, narrowing his eyes a little and wondering just what had brought this on. _

"_Right..." His response was a slow voiced word, not really sure what he should say about this, "... Can I ask why?" _

"_No. I just think we're not right for each other. You're... always practising your guitar, and you're always on your own. You never go out anywhere or do anything, and I'm not even sure that anything will come from you fucking around that instrument of yours. You don't have a band, you have no hopes or dreams other than to play that thing, and you lose your jobs regularly. You're... you're kind of pathetic, Zoro," Luffy said, his eyes shadowing again and his mouth forming a grim line. _

_The words, _those_ words, coming from the brat's mouth right now... they weren't Luffy's. Zoro knew when Luffy was saying something, those weren't his words. Deep inside, it hurt still that the kid had dared to say something like that to him. Really, Zoro didn't know what to respond with so he just shrugged one shoulder almost carelessly and re-opened his book. _

"_Whatever you say, Luffy." _

"_Ne... so... we're done."  
_

"_That's grand. Leave the key on the counter before you head out, eh? Don't let the door slam on your ass as you leave, either, I'd hate to have to fix the dint." Luffy stared at the green haired man before snorting softly and shaking his head. How could the guy sit there so calmly and just take all of this? A fight would've been nice. _

"_You really _are _pathetic, Zoro! Look at you, just sitting there and not doing anything. You're depressed or something, I don't know what's wrong with you these days! No wonder I hardly come here any more, and even when I do, it's not like we do anything. You just pluck at your strings and I sit around and wait for something to happen! We don't even make out or anything any more!" Luffy was panting, some part of him wishing Zoro would fight back, just so he could get some of his frustration out. Zoro knew instantly at that point, that this wasn't his Luffy. _

_Someone, or something, had happened to make the kid like this. Somewhere, Luffy had lost himself. He was only a teen, of course, but to act like this... no. Zoro knew him better than that. As he was snarled at, the green haired man calmly closed his book and then his eyes, trying to count to ten in his head so he could remain perfectly calm, but it failed when Luffy said those last few things. _

"_Make out? MAKE. OUT?" Zoro snapped, getting to his feet and slamming the book down on the table in front of him, "Alright. Monkey D Luffy, you wanna know what the hell is really going on here, I'm gonna tell you! Alright? So shut your gigantic fucking mouth and listen!" His voice was strained, throat tight with emotion as his chest began to heave as well, heart beating a million miles an hour. _

"_I have done nothing but support you, give you money, worked my ass off for you, taken care of you and protected you! All you've done to me is take advantage of the fact that I'll come to the damned city to get you home safely when you get so drunk you don't even know what the fuck is going on any more! I don't care about that, that you're having fun! It's not my thing to go and do that, and even if it was, your so called 'friends' don't want me there anyway! I don't give two fucks about that either! Y'know why? Because I thought I was doing the right fucking thing by you! Letting you do what you wanted, have fun, be yourself. I want you to be yourself, because that's what I love about you. Always have! That you can be yourself and not give a __**FUCK**__ about what others say, but I see now that I was clearly mistaken..." _

_Zoro trailed off, his eyes burning with the need to cry and his head throbbing at everything that was flowing through him right now, "And make out? We don't make out any more? Last time I recall, I just touched you and you didn't want me to be near you. Every time I go to kiss you, you dodge away. Whenever I lay next to you, you turn your back to me. Often, when you're drunk and you call me to come get you, you smell like someone else. I let it be, but obviously, you've also been unfaithful. I don't care if I'm wrongfully accusing you, y_ou're _what's wrong with this relationship, Luffy. You've let your 'friends', mess with your head and make you believe what they want you to believe. That I'm a waste of time and you shouldn't be with me because I'm not good enough for you. All because... you want to be cool. To fit in. Have fun being popular, kiddo. I hope you have a great fucking life, because I don't want you in mine any more. So get out." _

_Luffy stared at the older man as Zoro turned and slumped back into his chair, suddenly so calm and quiet it was eerie. He took his book back up again, opened it to the right page and began to read. _

"_Zoro..." Luffy began but the older man snapped almost _demonic_ looking eyes in his direction. _

"_**Get. Out. Now.**__" Zoro's voice was so violent, that Luffy almost took a step backwards. With that, the younger teen frowned and slapped the key down on the counter. _

"_Fine," he snorted, stalking out the door and slamming it behind him. Zoro glanced at the door before closing his book and looking to the window. _

"_... You idiot, Luffy..." His voice was lost amidst the noise of another thunder crack, the rain coming down even more heavily if it was possible. _

End Flashback

Sanji stared at the green haired man as Zoro finished telling this part of the story. It... how could Luffy have been so cruel like that? From the whole of what the guitarist had said, the kid was true to himself and his own ideas. So how had he let himself fall into the trap of popularity? Let it go to his head like he had? Of course, Sanji didn't know the guy but all the same, the way Zoro had told things sounded pretty unbiased in his opinion. He'd told it from both Luffy and Zoro's point of view, almost.

"Five years later... he shows up to say he's sorry. When... I've actually amounted to something. I don't trust him, I don't know what he's like any more, so I don't want to see him. If he's still the same, I don't want to know him. For the last few years, I've just been ignoring any past knowledge that any such person took part in my life," Zoro said, waving his hand a little before snorting and rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "Now he's brought it all back up again."

Sanji had no idea what to say or do now, so he just swallowed and got to his feet, brushing his jeans a little and then pushing his hands into his pockets. He hadn't realised that something like this had happened to his friend. It wasn't the worst tale in the world, but it certainly wasn't one of the best. Letting out a soft sigh, Sanji moved his shoulders in a tiny shrug before twisting his lips a little.

"One helluva story you got there, Marimo, I'll give you that."

"Tch," Zoro snorted, rubbing at his eyes tiredly again. "Not that bad, just... bah, whatever."

"... Yeah. Well, try and get some sleep, ne? We gotta get up early tomorrow to start heading off to the next city... at least then, you don't have to worry about him any more, eh?" Zoro snorted and nodded a little. Even though the two fought like hot headed morons, they were still friends and if the other wasn't exactly in a good state, they tended to act quite brotherly and protective of each other.

It was a brief speculation that the two were a couple behind closed doors but that had been quickly stamped, stabbed and burned out of any news reporter's mind when the two had both given a look of pure and utter _death_ at any one who dared to ask them a question about their 'hidden relationship'.

"Right. Night, eyebrows."

"Later, Marimo."

0o0o0o0o

Luffy crept silently along the hallways, peeking around every corner and feeling his heart thump in his ribs. He wanted to see Zoro before he left, just one more time so he could have a proper, alone conversation with the guy. Really, clarifying everything that had happened between them was the only thing on Luffy's mind at this point in time. He heard voices further down the hall, one quite deep and the other a lighter, but no less male voice. He couldn't hear a thing they were saying, just the higher and harder tones of their conversation was reaching Luffy's ears. The deep one... That was Zoro.

Poking his head around the corner, Luffy grinned when he saw there were no security guards at the music artist's doors. Then, the voices went silent and Luffy saw his chance. Maybe Zoro and Sanji were done talking now? He hoped so. Hurrying down the hallway on silent feet, Luffy paused beside the door and was about to reach for the handle when it opened and the lead singer of _East Blue_ was staring down at him with a surprised and almost confused expression.

Luffy twitched a little and took a step back, dark hair falling over his eyes before he raised a hand to scratch at the back of his head. He was about to speak but Sanji slapped a hand over the brat's mouth and shoved him backwards, closing the door behind him and then grabbing the younger man's shirt.

"You're coming with me, runt," the blonde hissed before dragging Luffy down the hallway and towards the artist's room. All the guy could think as he was dragged away was 'Oh man, this ain't gonna end well'. The door was opened and then Sanji stepped in, shoving Luffy into the room ahead of him and then closing the door behind him. Turning to face the dark haired man, Sanji frowned heavily and almost dangerously.

"Oi oi, the hell you doing sneaking around a place like this, eh? Likely to get your ass kicked, you are. Just because we're famous and are surrounded by guards and such all the time, doesn't mean we can't defend _ourselves_, y'know," Sanji said, tugging a box of cigarettes from his pocket and pulling one out. He wasn't allowed to smoke in any other room, least of all Zoro's, but in his own he could do whatever he wanted. Which was nice.

"Ah? Yeah, that's true, but I never said you couldn't," Luffy chuckled, shrugging a little and taking a second to look around the room. It was really quite fancy in here, he had to admit. The click of a lighter brought the dark haired man's attention back to Sanji again. The blonde man took a long inhale of his smoke before breathing it out again and watching the white stuff twirl towards the ceiling.

"So you're Monkey D Luffy, huh?" Sanji asked, not looking at the kid and still following the twirl of smoke with his eyes. Luffy blinked a little before nodding slightly.

"N-ne... I wanted to come and see Zoro..."

"You can't," the lead singer stated simply, his eyes finally moving to look at the man in front of him, "Zoro's resting right now and as both leader and manager of this band, I say you aren't allowed to go near him. So just go home, kid." Sanji moved away from the door and headed towards the couch in the corner, dropping into it with a 'whoof' noise and laying back so he could stretch out and relax. Luffy followed him with his own eyes and stared at him, blinking slowly for a moment before his face fell grim and his shoulders slumped a little. 

"He... told you about me, huh?" Luffy's voice was no higher than a mumble as he turned his face away from Sanji and rubbed at his arm guiltily. The blonde snorted softly, his visible eye roving around the room and then pausing on Luffy again. 

"Yeah. I'm barely stopping myself from kicking your face in for hurting a friend of mine, brat. That was some stunt you pulled, huh? Zoro didn't even do anything to you," he said. Luffy twitched softly and bowed his head further.

"No, he didn't. It was all my fault, everything, and I really, really want to apologise and let him know that he was right, and I was wrong."

"You do, huh?" Sanji snorted softly, "Because he's suddenly a big name and everything now? You dumped him because he was nothing and would amount to nothing, right? Now he's something, you're interested again?" There was a slight bitterness in the blonde man's voice and Luffy scowled, raising his eyes and focusing them on the blue ones watching him. Or, the blue _one_.

The other was covered by the blonde hair draped suavely across it. That wasn't how it was, not at all. He wanted to see _Zoro_, not the name he had become. Because he'd loved the guy, more than he'd loved anyone since and he still did hold a very special place for the green haired idiot in his heart. Luffy wanted to bow and tell Zoro that everything he had said was ridiculous. 

"I've been looking for Zoro for two or three years now, ever since I grew up enough to realise that I had been... stupid and let everyone get the better of me. I saw you guys were finally coming to a city where I could afford to go, and came here. I want to tell him that it wouldn't have mattered what he had become or didn't become, as long as he was happy. I want to tell him that I would've loved him no matter what had happened-" 

"But you didn't. You didn't love him no matter what happened," Sanji butted in, frowning heavily at the guy and twisting himself to sit up and rest his elbows on his knees. "You told him that he was nothing, so you couldn't be with him. You couldn't be with someone as pathetic as he was. I think that indicates you didn't love him enough to be with him through everything. I don't see any reason to change my mind about you seeing him, yet."

The most infuriating thing right then, was that Sanji seemed to have this small, smug smirk on his lips as he denied Luffy exactly what he wanted. Some pleasure in tormenting the kid and not allowing him to be near the guitarist. Luffy supposed he deserved it well and truly but still, he was being completely honest and open here.

"I... I know," he nodded in response, "I don't deserve a chance at anything with that guy but I really... want him to know that everything I said... I didn't mean it. I was crazy, lost my mind, went under with the peer pressure and popularity thing. Zoro... is the most amazing person that has ever happened to me. For him to stay with me through all that I did, and then I went and did something like that... I don't even deserve the chance to see his face on TV let alone speak to him in real life. I know all that, Sanji-san." Sanji watched the younger man for a while before sighing softly and rubbing at the small amount of stubble growing on his chin and then shook his head slightly.

"If I let you go in there, to him, and say something... and you hurt him again... I'll hunt you down and slice you into julienne. Do I make myself perfectly clear here, Monkey D Luffy?" It took a moment for what the blonde had said to sink in but when it did, the smile on Luffy's face could've powered a small city for years.

"I understand! I understand everything perfectly. But... what does julienne mean?" The question was one Sanji had expected and he just snorted and waved a hand.

"Cooking term. Now get. Zoro doesn't lock his door at nights so it should be open," the blonde explained, waving a hand for Luffy to get out of his sight and laying back down on the couch again after stubbing his cigarette out in the tray on the coffee table beside him. Luffy just beamed and hurried to the door, opening it and thanking Sanji once more before diving out, shutting the door behind him and then hurrying for Zoro's. His fingertips rested on the metal for a moment as he steeled himself, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to do.

He hoped... that at the very least, he could stop the ache that must have been plaguing this man for years after what Luffy had said to him. That was the dark haired man's main purpose now, was to do something that would relieve Zoro's suffering. Opening the door, Luffy poked his head in and looked around for a moment before moving into the room. He closed the door behind him and peered at a guitar seated on a comfy looking chair. It was the one Zoro had had that day when Luffy had said those cruel things. It had been propped on a chair near to where Zoro was sitting. Somehow, it too seemed to glare at him and warn him of harming it's master.

"Ah? You back again, eyebrows? That's a little insulting, y'know," Zoro said from the bathroom beside Luffy and the dark haired man scratched his head a little, not sure what to respond with.

"Uh... it... it's not Sanji. It... it's me, Zoro," Luffy nodded a little at the same time as he spoke. There was silence and then a door opened and Zoro stepped out, wearing his jeans but no shirt. His hair was plastered down from being wet and his eyes were narrowed. Obviously, he had just come out of the shower.

"How the hell did you get in here and why don't you go straight back out that way, rat?"

"I... kind of knocked a few guards out and then just hid before they could get to me or see me or anything. Got in here and then found your door. Simple as that," Luffy said with a small smile before he sighed softly. "Can... is it possible for you to drop the hostility long enough to listen to me?" Zoro snorted so hard it was a wonder he didn't damage his throat or nose or something. Guess it wasn't really possible after all. That made Luffy a little sad but he guessed he deserved it.

"I'll... just go then, I guess," he mumbled, pointing at the door and turning towards it sadly.

"... You get one... and only _one_ chance, to tell me what you want to. If I don't like it, you get out and never, ever, come near me again. Do you hear me, asshole?" Zoro's voice was nothing short of a snarl but his words were true. They made Luffy pause and turn to look at the guy with amazement and then a bright smile as he nodded his understanding.

"Hai! I understand, Zoro-san," he volunteered, raising his hand and continuing to grin as he moved towards one of the couches and then sat down on the floor. Zoro raised a mild eyebrow on him.

"Chairs, y'know, are made to sit on. You can put your ass in one and, y'know, _sit_ on it. Just so you know," he said as he moved past where the guy was sitting and went to get himself a drink from the fridge. Despite everything, he was genuinely curious about what Luffy had to say along with the fact that he really would like to see what the other had become. If he was still the same, Zoro would throw him physically out the door.

If not, then maybe they could be friends again? He would like that very much. Luffy blushed a little, thinking that even though the kid had been a right ass to Zoro, the guy was still treating him like a human being. So, he put his butt in one of those squishy, nice lounge chairs and smiled a little as he sat there. This was nice, he had to admit.

"You've... really done something awesome with your life, ne Zoro-san?"

"Drop the san, I don't need it, thanks," Zoro grunted, seating himself down in his own couch and stretching his legs out, laying back in a similar fashion to what Sanji had. Luffy nodded in response to Zoro saying about the honorific and then drew in a soft breath.

"So um... I guess I should start talking, eh?"

"Would be nice considering you're here and by just sitting here and not saying anything, you're kind of pissing me off," Zoro said, eyes closed and one arm pillowing his head as he rested against a cushion. Luffy twitched a little nervously and bowed his head slightly. He was sorry about that but apologising would only make it worse so he kept his mouth shut on that subject.

"Right, well, I wanted to say that... I... I'm really sorry for what I said to you. That day. And ignoring your calls and everything that I did to you. ... Cheating on you and everything," he began.

"Oh, so I wasn't wrong about that? I'd been wondering, actually," Zoro said, scratching at his cheek. Luffy flinched a little and his cheeks flared red.

"It wasn't really anything to do with me not loving you... I just... I don't know _what_ 'I just'. Lost my mind or something. Usually I went after someone when I was starting to get a bit drunk, had my fun and then left to go and get more drunk. Tch," Luffy snorted, a hand over his face to try and hide his embarrassment. Zoro didn't look at him, just kept his eyes staring resolutely at the ceiling. It... wasn't like he was disliking the conversation itself, but the content of it wasn't exactly appealing to him. Mind you, Luffy did look like he was suffering some pretty bad regrets for what he had done, and that was what made Zoro stay his hand and not punch the guy in the face.

"Continue," he said. Luffy looked up and then nodded quickly.

"R-right. Um... well... ne... I don't really know what else to say to be honest other than you... were right. You were right about me being the problem with the relationship, and I'm really sorry... I never meant any of those things I said, I still don't understand why I said them. I never thought... you were pathetic at all, and it never mattered to me if you would amount to something or if you... would just be yourself," he paused and then swallowed a little, "I loved you for you, always did and... still do. I was mad for a while, after everything you said, until it sunk in one day when those 'friends' left and I was on my own all of a sudden. Usopp and Nami... they were there, but not really. They were angry at me as well, for what I'd said to you, and they were always scared of you. They didn't believe I had rights to treat you like I had though." Zoro listened intently, closing his eyes again and sighing softly through his nose.

"You're only saying those things because I'm something now." The statement was blunt, but untrue in Luffy's ears and he frowned.

"I... I thought you would say that. I promise you, it wouldn't have mattered at _all_ if you had never become anything of a sort, Zoro. The only way I found you was by you becoming famous. I moved out of town not long after we broke up and then couldn't afford to get anywhere. Ace... died, and I was left to pay so much stuff and all. I was never able to get back to you again, and by the time I did a year or two later, you had moved on. Then you guys started appearing and all, and then became famous and I finally managed to save enough to buy a ticket to one of your gigs. Then I came to this city, I live two or three hours away... so... I could apologise to you, Zoro."

"If you're looking for sympa-"

"I'm not," Luffy frowned heavily, shooting a glare at the green haired man, "I'm not looking for sympathy of any form. If anyone deserves that, it's you. No. I was simply making a point of saying those things so you would know I've... made a big effort to come here for you, Zoro. To apologise. Not for my benefit either. I've been trying to come to terms with everything for the past few years and I still can't."

Zoro watched him with sleepy eyes before sighing softly and sitting up, lifting his head enough that he could watch the younger man carefully. These words... unlike that time when Luffy had said those horrible things to him, were truly the guy's own and the guitarist felt his heart settle at them. This was getting to be a reasonable conversation, he had to admit. Everything in Luffy's tone had a truth to it, an honesty that Zoro had always admired about the kid. It had hurt the most that at that point in time, Luffy hadn't been honest with himself or anyone. He'd been what those people had made him into and it was so sad to Zoro to see something like that happen.

"... I think... I'm going to accept your apology," the guitarist said, nodding a little and keeping his eyes closed at the same time, "I can hear you're being genuine. You're the Luffy I remember, the good one... the one I loved." He opened his eyes and Luffy stared at him, completely taken aback by what had just transpired. Had... Zoro just said he accepted the apology? He'd never even begun to think that it could've played out like this. Green eyes stared into chocolate brown and Zoro shifted to sit up, propping his elbows on his knees and now staring at the floor between his feet.

"... I still... love you, Zoro," Luffy said, frowning softly and turning his gaze to the floor as well. "I know you probably don't want that, and I don't deserve to have you either... but I just thought I should tell you. I never stopped loving you." The guitarist didn't say anything for a long time, just sat and stared at the floor, obviously lost in thought.

"I think... you'll understand if I say that, I do... love you, but I'm not ready to love you back, Luffy," Zoro said, frowning slightly at the floor and then looking up to the other, "But... I wouldn't mind another chance with you. If something starts to go wrong, then-"

"Then you can do whatever you want to me, Zoro. It won't be unwarranted if I do anything wrong like that, ever again," Luffy cut the older man off, staring at him in pure and utter determination. Zoro stared back at him before sighing and shaking his head a little.

"You're a dead set idiot, kid," he said before smiling and getting to his feet. Reaching out a hand, Zoro ruffled the dark hair and paused for a moment before quite suddenly, reefing his hand back and swinging a solid fist into the younger man's jaw. The punch was violent enough that Luffy was sent tumbling from the arm chair that had just fallen over, and he ended up leaning against the wall instead in a rather interesting position.

Zoro walked over and then crouched beside him, staring into his face and smirking slightly. Dark eyes shifted in a daze until they came to rest on the sharp features of the guitarist and then the two began to slowly laugh. Luffy scrambled to a better position, raising a hand to his bleeding nose and split lip before starting to laugh even harder.

"You... you son of a bitch!" The dark haired man cracked up, still holding his nose and continuing to laugh thickly.

"You bitch of a son!" Zoro returned, getting to his feet to go and get some tissues for the brat's nose. He returned a moment later and set the box down in front of Luffy before settling himself on the floor beside the guy. They ended up talking late into the night, about anything and everything, what they had been doing for the past few years and how their lives had changed so much. The conversation turned deeper at times, both of them talking about how they'd felt when Luffy had gone off the handle like he had and then it went to lighter things, like Zoro telling about his and Sanji's adventures.

When morning came, Sanji moved to Zoro's room to get the bastard up so they could head off, and opened the door. It took him a moment to figure out where they were, but when he did, he sighed and let a small smile trace over his face. Both of them had fallen asleep beside each other at the wall, heads resting on one another's and Sanji didn't think he'd ever seen the marimo bastard look so at peace. Shaking his head a little, the blonde closed the door silently and looked to Robin and Franky, who were standing behind him and wondering just what on Earth was going on.

"... Our Marimo has just solved some of his major PMS issues," Sanji clarified without clarifying anything at all. He walked back down the hall and shooed the guards away, leaving the two other band members staring kind of oddly after him.

**End**

_A/N:__ Reviews would be highly appreciated! I'm not sure of the ending so much, but I did try my best to pull stuff together and all and make it awesome. I really wanted to get something done for once instead of leaving it half finished like I have a bad habit of doing lately. Thanks everyone for reading! _


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